Day 182: What I Learned (so far) from The Taming of the Shrew...or at least the adaptations

As I said before, I'm skipping The Taming of the Shrew for now to focus on the histories, so I haven't read it yet. But I have learned a few things about it, particularly about the adaptations it has inspired. Here are just a few:

Kiss Me Kate (1948 stage musical)

via wikipedia

The classic Cole Porter musical takes place back stage of a musical version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the actress playing Katherine is constantly fighting with her ex-husband, the director.

Kiss Me Kate (1953 film)

via moviepostershop.com

It's like the musical, but apparently with more hilarious domestic violence.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999 film)

Julia Stiles is a high school student being wooed by a young Heath Ledger with terrible hair but an endearing singing voice.  It also inspired an ABC Family TV show of the same name (which I didn't see because I'm a grownup).

The Taming of the Shrew (1929 film)

via wikipedia

This film starred real-life husband and wife Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford who were actually in the process of getting a divorce during the filming, so much of the fighting is probably pretty real, though Pickford later said she didn't think the performances were very good (especially Fairbanks') and the experience was one of her worst on set. Interestingly, the film was presented as both a talkie AND a silent film, as only certain theatres were equipped with sound in 1929, so some showings were silent while others were not.

The Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)

Didn't people ever get sick of seeing Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton playing an onscreen version of their real-life tumultuous relationship? Oh right, they did--Cleopatra. They were like the Brangelina of their time except that only one of them was good looking. Nonetheless this version remains one of the most watched version of the bard's play.

The Taming of the Shrew (2005 television adaptation)

This version, part of BBC One's ShakespeaRe-Told series, was directed by Sally Wainwright and starred Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle!) as a cutthroat politician seeking a husband in order to soften her public image.

Moonlighting (TV series) Season 3, Episode 7 "Atomic Shakespeare" (1986)

"Petruchio and Katerina" (aka David and Maddie) in Moonlighting "Atomic Shakespeare" (via The Most Unusual Weddings From Television)

And no discussion of Shrew adaptations would be complete without a nod to this episode of Moonlighting which cast David Addison (Bruce Willis) as Petruchio and Maddie Hayes (Cybil Shepherd) as Katerina, complete with a writing credit to William "Budd" Shakespeare. Watch the entire episode (via YouTube) below!